How To Log On To Windows 7 Without Admin Password Or Reset Disk?

Forgetting Windows 7 login screen administrator password can be exasperating, isn’t it? Also, if you don’t have a reset disk for the rescue, then it could add fuel to the fire. But, you don’t need to worry about it. There are other ways to login to your Windows computer when you have forgotten the admin password and don’t have the reset disk.

Well, you don’t have to reinstall Windows OS again or the factory reset on your computer. In this post, we have listed two methods to recover or reset Windows 7 password without reset disk. Read on!

Method 1: Recover Windows 7 Admin Password Using Password Hint

Method 2: Reset Windows 7 Admin Password With Installation CD

Recover Windows 7 Admin Password Using Password Hint

While creating a password for an administrator account, you are often asked to create password hint as well. If you have set a password hint, then it will come in handy at this time. When you try to login with a wrong password, it shows a message, “The username or password is incorrect,” Click OK to close it. On the next screen, you will get two links, Password Hint and Reset Password. As you don’t have the reset link, Reset Password link is useless for you.  The password hint might help you remember admin password.

Reset Windows 7 Admin Password With Installation CD

If you are not able to recall your Windows 7 admin password with Password hint, then you can use Installation CD to reset your Windows to resolve the issue.

For this process, you would need a Windows 7 installation CD/DVD to reset Windows 7 Admin password.

Step 1: Mount the CD/DVD on to your computer

Step 2: Restart your Windows computer and access BIOS setup so that you can set your computer to boot using the CD.

Step 3: Your computer will boot up via installation CD and you will get Install Windows window. Click Next.

Step 4: Choose Repair your computer option.

Step 5: You will System Recovery Options window, Windows 7 will be enlisted. Click Next to proceed.

Step 6: Now choose Command Prompt as your recovery tool.

Step 7:  As Command Prompt window is launched, type Copy C:\Windows\System32\sethc.exe c:\ and press Enter. The result will show 1 file(s) is copied.

Note: In case you are asked whether you want to overwrite the file, type Yes and hit Enter to proceed.

Step 8: Now type copy/y c:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe c:\Windows\System32\sethc.exe. The result will show 1 file(s) is copied.

Step 9: Now type Exit and press Enter to close Command Prompt window.

Now remove the installation CD & restart your Windows 7 computer.

Step 10: Now your computer will restart as usual. As you get the login screen, press Shift key five times in a row to get sethc.exe window.

Step 11: Once the window is up, type “net user <Username> <New Password>” and press Enter. You will get “The command completed successfully” This result shows that your password is reset successfully.

Note:  Replace <Username> with your Admin username and <New Password> with the password that you want to use, so the command will be

“ net user<systweak> <abc@123>”

Note: In case you don’t know the username type net user and press Enter key. You will get all the user accounts on your Windows 7 computer.

When you are done with the steps to reset a password, then you need to put the original file for sethc.exe. To do that, use installation CD to boot the computer. Follow the steps mentioned above to get the Command Prompt.

Once Command Prompt is open, type the command:

Copy /y c:\sethc.exe c:\windows\system32\sethc.exe.

And the sethc.exe will be restored.

In this way, you can log on to Windows 7 computer when you have forgotten the administrator password and don’t have reset disk handy. Try this and let us know if you face any issues in the comments section below.